Never Be Replaced
by A dragon's crystal
Summary: “I took him for granted… he was the only one I really cared for, and I guess I was just too stupid to let go of that…” [KxR with hints of TxM and YxB]
1. Prologue

**Crystal:** Okay... so sue me for starting another fic! -sticks tongue out- Anyhow... I couldn't get the idea off my head and this was the only way to leave me alone for a while... This fic is just kind of a spur of a moment thing since I hadn't really planned on writing it so soon... I hope you guys enjoy it! Oh yeah, I almost forgot... thank you, Ladyfiction for beta-ing this for me... -bows- I owe you so much right now.

**Disclaimer:** None... I don't own anything.

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**Never Be Replaced - Prologue**

With all of his suitcase packed, and necessary paper arranged, he stood up and quietly went inside the bedroom. He looked at the bed to see a figure, peacefully sleeping as if nothing has harmed him in the past. Kon Rei smiled sadly at the figure and quickly - yet silently - left the room, trying not to wake the said figure. '_It's better this way…_' he thought, while closing the main entrance door to the apartment. '_It would be best… for the both of us._'

He gave a dismayed sigh when he saw dark clouds hovering above the sky, while small raindrops of water falling down to the ground. He walked down the steps and gave his suitcase to the taxi driver waiting for him. When that was done, he entered the cab while telling the driver to go to the International Airport.

Rei didn't really know why he was doing this… leaving him, without an explanation, a note, a goodbye… he just knows that it's the right thing to do. He turned his head to the window and watched the rain fall down as the cab kept on driving, subconsciously wringing his hands every five seconds or so.

"I love you, Kai…" he murmured to no one particular, and closed his eyes letting a few tears fall.

'_Don't forget me…_'

…

When he had opened his eyes, what he least expected happened. At first, he thought that his raven-haired beauty was just in the bathroom, taking his time brushing that long hair of his or maybe he was in the living room, quietly reading the novel that he was quite fond of, the first time he ever got it. However, when he went out the living room, heading towards the kitchen, Rei was not there.

Kai frowned at the peculiar sight and headed to the kitchen to have a drink of water. When he passed by the dining room, he noticed that breakfast was already served. Leave it to Rei to take care of breakfast since it was his turn to cook… but why is there only one plate at the table? Kai knows that the amber-eyed neko-jin hates the idea of eating alone, and prefers that the two of them would eat together, at least when he actually comes home early from work anyway.

"Rei?" No matter how much feelings he held for his lover, his voice still carried much less affection. Then, Hiwatari called the other's name again, but to no avail, no one answered.

Where could the other have gone? Kai was sure that Rei would tell him everything whether he plans to go out or something of the sort… and the crimson-eyed man knew that Rei hardly forgets anything. Unless…

'_No…_' he thought while slowly walking back to the bedroom. He stood right in front of the closet and quietly opened the closet door. As he expected… half the closet space was empty.

'_Just as I thought…_'

He closed his eyes and gave a humourless smile.

* * *

"Are you really sure that you're doing the right thing?" Yuriy asked for the third time in a row as he helped his friend by carrying the luggage. He knows that he will probably get his ass kicked for helping and for being the only one knowing about this… but right now he does not care about that. "I mean, you're really, _really_ in love with him, so why the freakin' hell are you leaving him?"

Rei ignored his friend's question and kept looking at his ticket. "Where do you think gate _28B _is?" he asked quietly, while staring at the plane ticket with an intense gaze.

"You're not answering my question, Kon." was the reply he got.

The neko-jin sighed and looked pitifully towards Yuriy's way. "Because," he said, while glancing back to the slip of paper, again, his ticket.

But, knowing the red-haired man the expected came forth… "Because?" The Russian asked him once more.

Rei stopped walking when he found the gate that he was looking for. "Because… I don't deserve him." he replied, and lowered his head. Then suddenly, he gave the elder man a hug and took his suitcase from him. "I'll see you soon, Yuriy-kun."

Yuriy, who was still shocked at the hug that the younger one gave him merely nodded, until Rei was only a foot away from the flight attendant when he asked, "What makes you think that you don't deserve him?"

The Chinese man did not turn around, "Because… I just know…" he murmured and gave his ticket to the stewardess, and without looking back, he went inside.

'_He does realize that no matter how much of a bastard Kai is, he's still going to pursue him, right?_' Yuriy told himself, whilst going out the parking lot with his hands in his pocket jeans.

Three hours earlier, Rei had phoned him telling him to go to the airport to meet him there. He knew the reason why the neko-jin left; he just was not sure why he did it.

"Kai's really going to kill me for this…" he muttered while driving back into the city.

…

_When Kai entered the apartment, he noted the dark place that welcomed him. Seeing as he cannot really see in the dark right now, he looked for the light switch in his hands. He managed to find the switch, and turned it open to see Rei sleeping on the couch with his head on the armrest and the rest of his body curled tightly into a ball, shivering every now and then._

_Kai felt a sudden tug in his chest at the sight. He saw the dining table still full with plates of food, and two empty plates waiting to be filled. Rei has not eaten yet. He frowned at the thought. He walked towards the sleeping neko-jin and gently shook him awake, faintly noticing the tear tracks that trailed down the tanned cheeks of his lover's._

"_Rei…?" he said, inwardly flinching at his icy tone._

_The said man groaned and sighed sleepily when he slowly opened his eyelids, revealing those vibrant honey-coloured eyes of his. "Oh, welcome home, Kai," he murmured and sat up, rubbing his orbs._

"_You didn't eat," Kai said, while pointedly looking towards the dining room. _

_The Chinese of the two just grinned sheepishly while two pink patches appeared on his face. "Oh… well, you know how I hate to eat alone… and I was waiting for you because I don't want you eating by yourself either…"_

"_I already ate," the Russian replied, trying to ignore the guilty tug on his stomach. He gave Rei a peck on the cheek, while letting his boyfriend up._

"_O-Oh…" Rei tried to hide the disappointment in his voice. "Well, I guess I should go a-and…"_

"_You're tired, go to bed," Kai interrupted, leading him inside to their shared bedroom. "Take care of it in the morning."_

_Rei looked at his retreating figure and gave a quiet sigh. He just has to clean the table up and put the food in the fridge so that it would not rot. He stumbled as he walked inside the dining room, and carefully put the homemade stir-fry and fried rice inside the cool appliance. He then took the empty - but - clean dishes back to the cupboards, along with the utensils in the drawer. He then took a wet towel and started wiping the table, trying to leave it spotless in the morning. He did not even notice a pair of crimson eyes looking at his tired figure._

_Kai feigned his sleep when Rei entered the room. He only opened his eyes when the neko-jin had climbed onto the bed and went back to sleep while subconsciously snuggling at Kai's back, seeking warmth. The older of the two turned around and reluctantly put an arm around his companion. _

Kai silently remembered that memory, while sitting in the armchair. He knows that something has been bothering Rei… but, he never knew that this was getting worse. The Russian had decided that the younger one should have come to him and talk about this, but then again, maybe he should have initiated it, instead. Though, unfortunately, this is Hiwatari, Kai we're talking about and when it comes to the slate-haired man, pride and dignity come first. After all, that is what makes you a Hiwatari… that is what makes you strong…

'_If it was anyone's fault it should be his…_' Kai decided, after all the crimson-eyed man's very busy with his work that he really has no time for childish games. He ignored the painful tug of fault in his stomach while going to the shower so that he could start for the day.

…

Working has lost is sensibility, Kai angrily realized while clenching his fist very tightly. Right when he came to his office, he suddenly felt tired all of a sudden. He did not want to work with so much on the paperwork, and he cannot seem to concentrate on the important events that his secretary was telling him. He even almost smashed the computer to bits because of the error that kept on popping up on the screen.

"Mr. Hiwatari?" his secretary said through the speaker. "Mr Ivanov's here to see you."

'_What does he want now?_' The slate-haired man thought irritatingly. "Don't let him come in," he answered five minutes later, after zoning out a bit. He did not even realize that someone had come in his office.

"A bit late for that," Yuriy said with a tone of amusement in his voice.

Kai glared at him and put all of his attention back at the computer again. He cursed inwardly at the word error message occurring once again, on the digital screen. The red-haired Russian quietly sat on one of the chairs, which surprised Kai. What was he up to now? Usually, when he comes in to annoy him to death he would start talking non-stop about nonsense. "What are you up to know?" he finally asked him, after he had, had enough of the impending silence.

Yuriy ignored the other's question, but instead took the picture frame that was sitting peacefully on the desk. "How long have you been with Rei?" he asked, while looking at the picture.

It was a picture of Kai and Rei, with Rei behind Kai, smiling very cheerfully while his arms were around the stoic man's neck. It seems that it was Rei's idea for the picture and had persuaded Kai to take the photo with him.

'_How ironic… Kai's not even smiling in this picture…_' The icy blue-eyed man thought, while noticing Kai tensing slightly at the corner of his eye.

"Do you know something that I need to know?" Kai answered Yuriy with an enquiry of his own, while earning a glare from the latter. "Because you know that I really don't have any time to waste, seeing as I have a company to run…"

Yuriy kept on glaring at the slate-haired Russian. "You don't even have the time to listen _why_ and _where _your boyfriend is half-across the world right now?" he copied Kai's tactic, now getting pissed off at the other's arrogance, even though he knew it was useless, since he's known Kai ever since they were young.

With Yuriy's statement, Kai focused all his attention to him. "What do you mean?" he narrowed his eyes, thinking that it was some kind of a joke.

"What makes you think I'll tell you now? Look, _Hiwatari_, until you can put off that shitty façade of yours for a while, I don't think I'll be talking to you for a while," Yuriy said, as he suddenly stood up from his seat. "In fact, why won't _you_ think up of a reason why Rei _left_!" With that said, he stormed off the office, leaving a once-in-a-lifetime stunned Kai in his office.

_End Prologue_

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**Johnny:** -gives Crystal a strange look- You have a very weird mind...

**Crystal: **-smiles cheerfully- Why, thank you! Anyhow, I really hope that you guys like this... and as always, feedback is very much appreciated! Ja ne!


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything!

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**Never Be Replaced - Chapter One **

"Mama, I can't wait to come home! Do you think grandfather and big brother will be waiting for us?"

Rei gave a small smile as he watched a cute five-year-old girl sitting right beside him talk to her mother. When he heard the reply of, "Of course, sweetie! I can't wait to come home as well," he turned his head to watch the clouds as the plane hovered above it. It was about mid-afternoon, and he just finished eating the lunch that was served. He can't wait to come and visit again. Despite the fact that he had a rough morning, it would be nice to see two of his closest friends again.

He still remembered that conversation a few weeks ago…

"_Hey Rei! Long time no talk, ne? How are you and - Rei? What's wrong? Are you crying?" Rei heard from the handset as tears started to fall down on his cheeks when he heard the cheerful voice. "Please stop crying, Rei! Tell me what's wrong?"_

_The neko-jin sniffled a bit and wiped his eyes even though tears just kept falling down like rain. "S-Sorry, Max. I g-guess I just got carried away…" he trailed off, not trusting to speak again and sniffled again._

_On the other side of the phone, Max worriedly looked at the contraption thinking what could the raven-haired man be crying about. "Rei, is this about…?" he asked uncertainly, afraid that Rei would start weeping again._

_"W-What would you say if I said yes?" Rei's honey-coloured eyes closed when Max had partly figured what made him broke down in the first place._

_"Well, I would say -"_

_"I would say that Kai's a lowlife bastard who can't treat you like shit, and if he does it one more time, I'll honestly come there and kick his sorry ass!"_

"_TAKAO! GIVE THAT BACK! I'M REALLY SORRY, REI!"_

_The neko-jin was surprised to hear the blue-haired man on the phone; he didn't even realize that Takao was home. He gave a small smile when he heard Max's exclaim, reminiscing when they were still the Kinomiya Dojo watching the clouds or training with their beyblades. "Hello to you too, Takao," Rei said quietly, whilst hearing Max's poor attempt at getting the phone away from his lover._

"_Is everything all right in there? You know, I've never really seen, much less hear you cry, especially in person," Takao continued, while dodging Max when the blond tried to tackle him._

_Rei looked down at his lap and gave a small sigh. "It's fine… and I guess I'm a little homesick," he partially lied. "And don't talk about Kai like that! Me crying has nothing to do with him…"_

_Takao frowned as he stepped onto the side when Max tried to tackle him again. "Homesick…? But, dude, you live there now! What could you possibly be homesick for?"_

_The neko-jin held his breath when he realized that Takao was a little bit on to him, which surprised him a bit. "W-What I meant was, living there in Japan… I hardly know anybody here, except for Kai, Yuriy, and Boris, and sometimes… I don't know… it's just so quiet here when Kai's off at work…" He replied with a hint of desperate, hoping that the blue-haired man would just drop the subject. "I-I guess despite the fact that I've been living here for almost a year doesn't help much…"_

"_Oh okay, if you say so," Takao knew that there's more to it, but decided not to question any further. "Are you - HEY MAX, STOP THAT!" and then suddenly Takao's voice wasn't heard anymore but instead Max's voice was back._

"_Sorry about Takao, Rei! Now, are you sure this has nothing to do about _him_? You know that you can always talk to me," the cheerful man encouraged, making Rei smile a bit more._

"_Yeah, I'm sure…" he replied, while clutching the telephone cord tightly. _

"_Okay then! But just in case that you know… something _did_ happen and umm… yeah, you're always welcome to stay here! We're here for you, okay?"_

"_Thanks…"_

He sighed and let his head rest against his palm until felt the plane hit a bit of turbulence. The neko-jin's tanned face frowned at the slight instability. It was… odd, considering the fact that the turbulence should have been finished after a few hours ago after the flight. He felt another shake, while distinctly hearing a few crashes by the back where the washrooms are.

"_Sorry about the interruptions_," the PA said, making Rei look up at the speaker. "_We have a slight problem and you will probably feel a bit more turbulence in the next fifteen minutes, so just make sure that you all have your seatbelts secured tightly, thank you._"

'_Problems?_' Rei wondered, while cautiously looking at the back where the flight attendants we're putting on the seatbelts themselves, looking quite anxious. The neko-jin didn't like the lurking, gut feeling in his stomach.

**_Fifteen minutes later…_**

'_What's going on?_' Rei thought as he clutched his eyes tightly, feeling the plane shake again. He reluctantly opened his eyes, looking at the small girl holding her little teddy bear as the mother tried to hug her daughter. He then looked up to see oxygen masks floating down from the ceiling.

"_We're sorry… for the in… inconvenience,_" the PA said again. _"But… one of the plane's… plane's engines failed during the climb and we're unfortunate to say that… that we haven't managed to mend it right away…_"

Rei tuned out the rest of what the pilot's going to say…

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Max paced back and forth while watching his boyfriend stand in front of the screen where the arrivals we're supposed to be shown. He walked towards Takao and also looked at the screen. "Rei's plane sure is taking a while… it should've arrived an hour and a half ago," the blond said, while looking at the Japanese man. "You don't suppose something happened, did you?" 

Takao shook his head and gave a reassuring grin. "Relax, Max! I'm sure Rei's fine and that the plane's just delayed, I'm sure." He put his arm around the younger one's shoulder, holding him close.

The blue-eyed man grinned back, and went back to pacing back and forth again.

Some time this morning; they received a phone call from Yuriy that Rei would be coming to Japan and stay there for quite a while. Max was a little surprised that Rei would be coming and not inform them beforehand, but Takao had his suspicions. When the older man had phoned, he sounded a little irate as if he just had an argument with someone. Also, like his blond lover, Takao was also surprised that Rei didn't tell them he would be coming, at first he thought that it was a surprise, but he remembered that it was only Rei that would be coming… not Kai as well.

He gave an annoyed glance back at the television and went back to sit at the seats, leaning back and sighed in exasperation. The plane sure is taking its sweet time arriving here from Moscow. The Japanese man knew that he and Max didn't have to wait but its pouring rain outside and they don't want Rei to call a cab on the way to the Kinomiya Dojo. Takao gave an amused glance as he saw his boyfriend walking towards him with a cheerful grin on his face and in his hands were a bag of jawbreakers.

"Tired from pacing back and forth?" he asked when the blond man sat beside him.

Max laughed and popped a jawbreaker in his mouth. "Yeah… I really don't want to make a whole in the ground, because if I did then we would probably be banned from the airport."

"We?"

The younger of the two laughed again. "Fine, then _I_ would be banned."

Silence consumed the both of them, only to broken every few minutes by Max's humming or Takao's irritated sigh. They've been here since noon after they've eaten lunch at a nearby café and then went straight to the airport. The blond looked up to the other side of the wall watching the time. It was 3:15.

"Takao… what if, something did happened?" Max tore his gaze away from the clock and looked at the blue-haired man. Takao has his eyes closed with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Don't worry… even if the plane's really delayed, we'll wait," Takao replied.

And so they waited…

An hour passed…

Two hours passed…

The two hadn't even realized that they fell asleep until one of the workers we're waking them up.

"Umm, sirs?"

"Urgh… huh?" Max blinked slightly and lifted his head from Takao's shoulder, slowly stretching his stiff body. "W-What time is i-it?" he asked the worker as he stifled a yawn.

The employee looked at his watch, not minding the light snores from the blue-haired man. "It's 8:25 PM."

Max's blue eyes widened and shook Takao awake. "Takao, wake up! We've been sleeping for at least five hours already!" When his lover kept on snoring, he sighed and turned towards the worker again. "Umm, I was wondering did the plane that came from Moscow, Russia arrived yet?" he asked while ignored the incoherent mumbling coming from the older man.

The worker paled slightly at the blond-haired man's question and shifted slightly. "Uh… there's something you should know…" he trailed off while look up to the ceiling.

"What should we know…?"

"Finally you're awake, Takao!"

The worker looked down to see the blue-haired man yawning and rubbing his eyes. "Uhh, about that plane… you see…"

* * *

Boris's eyes widened slightly as he watched the television with unblinking eyes. There at the television screen was an urgent news shown where a terrible plane crash had happened somewhere near China. "Yuriy… I think you should see this." 

The said Russian came out of the bedroom looking like he just woke up. Yuriy gave a huge yawn and sat down beside the stoic man, leaning his head on Boris's shoulder. "I'm still sleepy," he mumbled, not paying any attention to the television.

The latter snorted but put an arm around his half-asleep boyfriend. "I think you should pay more attention at the television than your beauty sleep right now," he replied solemnly as he lifted Yuriy's head so that the heavy-eyed man could watch the television properly.

Yuriy grumbled and rubbed his eyes while staring intently at the appliance. He was going to whine to Boris that he doesn't like watching the news when he saw a familiar plane destroyed to pieces with smoke and fire surrounding it while many firefighters were trying to extinguish the flames. '_What in the… that plane!_' "Boris, give me the phone…" he murmured, his eyes still transfixed at the horrible sight.

He dialled Takao's phone number and waited until the ringing stopped. "H-Hello?" the voice from the other line said.

"Kyouju?" Yuriy asked, while Boris was getting him a glass of water.

"Yuriy-san?"

"Give me the phone to Takao, _now_," the redhead's not going to waste any time and quickly got to the point. He heard a couple of noises and a bit of shifting from the other side when he finally heard the Japanese man's voice. "Takao…?"

"Y-Yuriy? I…"

Yuriy can't help but hear the other man's sniffling from the phone. '_But…_' Many questions floated inside his head, yet no answers were answered. "Tell me… did - did Rei's plane…?" he can't talk properly, with all of the anxious gut feeling in his stomach were swirling around. Suddenly, he heard a sobbing sound.

"Yuriy! His plane… damn it… _his stupid plane_!" The said person dropped the phone as if it was on fire. Yuriy turned to Boris, who was silent all this time, listening to the phone conversation.

Boris opened his arms a bit, letting the other Russian lean against him for comfort. He was a bit surprised that there were no tears coming out but only uncontrollableshaking. Then he realized that the phone is still on, and took that, hearing Takao still ranting and with his keen ears, he also heard another one sniffling. '_Probably Mizuhara…_' "Kinomiya, I'm afraid we're going to cut this conversation short."

"H-Huh? What do you mean?"

"We're just going to visit someone, don't bother about it." With that, he hang up and helped Yuriy stand, guiding him towards the bedroom.

…

When both Yuriy and Boris came to Kai's apartment they were both surprised to see that the crimson-eyed man hadn't left yet for work. In fact, he wasn't even dressed in his usual business suit. They found him sitting in one of the armchairs, with his fingers crossed and back hunched, brooding. Right in front of him by the coffee table was a newspaper, and in front of the tabloid was a picture of that both Russians have seen in television.

Yuriy took a deep breath and entered the room further, cautiously looking at the emotionless depths staring at nothing. "K-Kai…?" he asked quietly. He didn't hear the other man replied for a moment until…

"Was this the plane that _he_ took?"

Icy blue eyes widened a bit and nodded slowly. "Y-Yeah…"

"Hn, I see…"

The redheaded Russian looked at his lover and then back at Kai. "L-Look, Kai…"

"Get out."

"W-What?"

"I said, _Get out_," Kai's icy voice sent shivers down Yuriy's spine. He let Boris drag him away, while looking dumbfounded at Kai's expression. He was smiling humourlessly.

After the two other Russians left, Kai just sat there looking straight at the wall across from him. When he woke up, he felt like an empty shell as if something was missing. He ignored his nagging conscience about his neko-jin leaving and was going to start getting ready for the day when he started reading the paper. Finishing the article, he felt something cold drop down his stomach and he'd been brooding ever since.

_Kai frowned as he watched Rei pack the remaining clothes he had left on the bed and carefully put the suitcase down on the floor when the raven-haired man was starting to make the bed. "What are you doing?" he asked, while entering their shared room at the Kinomiya Dojo._

_Rei shook his head and gave the slate-haired man a rueful_ _smile. "Gomen ne, Kai… but, I have to go."_

_The frown etched on the Russian's face grew deeper. "Go where?"_

"_I'm going back to China… I mean, it's been a while since I've visited… and I'm very sure Lee and the other Baifuzu members would also like me to stay there for a while," Rei murmured while trying to make an eye contact. "I guess I'll see you later, Kai…" he then picked up his suitcase and left the room, not realized that tears were forming in his eyes._

_Kai on the other hand looked at the retreating figure of Rei and quickly searched his head to stop the younger man from leaving. "Don't go…" his voice was quiet although a bit commanding. He watched Rei stopped walking and let his suitcase drop onto the ground. _

"_W-Why…" Rei whispered, still not looking at the Russian._

_The slate-haired man walked towards the neko-jin and put his hand on the other's shoulder, spinning him around so that they would face each other. And without any warning he fiercely kissed Rei with a hint of desperation and plea, as his arm clutched possessively on the latter's lithe waist. Suffice it to say Rei's legs would have probably given in and collapsed unto the ground if not for his arms hanging around the taller man's neck._

_A few minutes later Kai broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against Rei's. He gave a rare, genuine smile as he watched the honey-coloured eyes open and stare at his own crimson orbs. "That's why," he whispered back, letting Rei's face flush a bit more._

Kai closed his eyes for the moment, but all he could see was Rei's smiling face and all he could hear was his raven-haired beauty's melodious laugh.

For the first time in his life…

Hiwatari Kai felt lost…

For the first time in his life…

Hiwatari Kai let the tears fall down on his pale cheeks.

_End Chapter One _

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Crystal:** -hides behind Johnny- 

**Johnny:** -rolls eyes- Come out of there, Ivanov! What are you so afraid of?

**Crystal:** Did you even read the chapter? -pokes and glares at Johnny-

**Johnny:** -reads it- Oh… well, you're on your own… -smirks and walks away-

**Crystal:** -glares at Johnny's retreating back- Traitor… -gulps- Anyway… umm, I really hope that you guys like this chapter… no matter how weird and awkward it is… -sobs and glomps her Rei plushie- I DIDN'T MEAN TO DO THAT! I'M SO SORRY! -sniffles- … Okay, I think I feel better… but seriously, while I was writing this chapter I can't help but think: "Oh my gosh! Did I really write that?" So… -coughs- Yeah… -smiles sheepishly-

_Thank you to the following people:_ Neko Phoenix Girl (I hope you're feeling better, Ruby-chan!), Echo in the Dark, SweetKatie97, Bryankuznetsov, UlTiMaTe KaI LuVa, Platinum Rei, Raku Ozzarian Princess (Here you go, Mai-chan! -gives her my cuddly inu plushie- So you won't be lonely while bed-ridded! -smiles cheerfully-), Animeobsession, WildChipmunkofYonder, Keisan, LaDyFiCtIoN, Tenshi-Tara (Relax, my dear big cousin! Tala's away on a vacation… -whistles innocently-), Blood Tears Dying Angel 0previously magic and sparkle0, ChibiNekoSakura, Tntiggris, Kodoku Wolf, Tsunami-girl, and Dragon-girl 02 for reviewing the first chapter or should I say prologue?

I never really expected for you guys liking this fic… I'm so touched! And so, from me to you… I present you my secret stash of chocolate chips! -opens the pantry- Take as much as you like! Now, as always don't forget to review! Bye for now!


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything!**

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**Never Be Replaced - Chapter Two**

Two days had passed since Kai found out about the plane crash. He couldn't sleep; he couldn't eat… Every time he closed his eyes all he could see was Rei's vibrant, honey-coloured eyes. When he was in bed, even though the blankets were covering him… he still felt cold; he missed the warmth the neko-jin produced, his scent and the way Rei breathed slowly while sleeping.

The crimson-eyed man didn't go to work during those two days, feeling that it was his fault that Rei had… he couldn't say the word _died_, because he knew that Rei was still alive. The authorities were looking for survivors, according to the news, and so far only a few dead bodies had been found. Kai also made sure that if anything was found other than the other civilians; he was to be contacted immediately. He ignored the phone calls that were coming, thinking that they were from work, and focused mostly on the news about the plane crash whether there were any survivors at all.

Yuriy and Boris often came to visit, making sure that he ate and slept well. They both knew what their friend was thinking, and they had to make sure that he actually did something other than brood over the incident.

"Have you talked to Kinomiya yet?" Boris asked his lover one time as they drove on their way home from Kai's apartment.

The redheaded Russian shook his head, and clasped his hands tightly on his lap. "No, not yet… I was hoping since they knew Rei's other friends very well… maybe they would tell them… that…" he trailed off; he too didn't want to say that Rei had truly passed away.

"Yuriy, that crash was all over the news not only here but probably the whole world. I'm pretty sure that they would find out one way or another…" He turned around the curb, seeing their apartment building. He then opened the gate to the underground parking area.

"I know but it would be at least considerate to tell them that they're not alone in sadness…" Yuriy replied, when the car came to a stop. With a sigh, the redhead stepped out of the vehicle.

Boris looked at his lover with a transfixed gaze. Ever since they both found out what happened, his lover was most unusually quiet, not to mention he always zoned out. The taller Russian expected that Yuriy would shed tears, but they didn't come. He often just saw the melancholic look on Yuriy's icy blue eyes when he was quiet. When they got to the elevator, Boris subconsciously put his arm around Yuriy's lithe frame, holding him close.

The other Russian looked up at Boris questioningly, hoping to make eye contact. But instead Boris was looking ahead, as if he was deep in thought. Yuriy smiled a bit and sighed contently, burying his face on his boyfriend's shoulder. They both stepped out of the elevator and Boris opened the door to their home, guiding the red-haired man in and into the living room.

The taller Russian sat down on the couch, letting Yuriy sit down on his lap. "Yuriy…" he said.

"Hmm…?" he looked up at his lover.

"…" Boris didn't know what to ask him. He wanted to know why Yuriy wasn't crying at all. He knows that he shouldn't force him to shed tears but… keeping it inside like that would make it worse. "Why… why weren't you crying…?" he finally asked.

Yuriy kept on staring at him until he leaned his head on the crook of Boris's neck. "I honestly don't know… I suppose it's because… crying won't make a difference. They only make your eyes all red and puffy, and your cheeks all blotchy…" he trailed off, not noticing Boris's small, yet amused smile. "Or maybe because you don't have anymore tears left…"

Silence took over them for a bit, just content in holding each other. Boris could feel Yuriy shaking again, but did not notice the warm tears from the crook of his neck. He sighed inwardly and lowered his head, enough that his mouth was near Yuriy's ear and whispered,

"You know… it's okay to cry."

A few minutes later, Yuriy wept as Boris whispered soothing words to him.

…

_Somewhere in China…_

Takao nervously wringed his hands on his lap as the taxi drove by the bumpy roads towards the Baifuzu team's remote village. He didn't really know what to say to Lee and the others. Supposedly, they should probably know the news by now, right? He wasn't sure about that, and so when the cab stopped and he had paid the driver, the blue-haired man stepped out of the vehicle and took a deep breath.

'_It's now or never… I just hope they knew this beforehand so that this could be easier…_'

He slowly walked up the path, noticing little children playing with their beyblades by a hollowed tree stump. He gave a small grin at the children's antics and continued on until he saw the certain people he was looking for.

"Hey there," he replied after clearing his throat to get their attention.

Lee, who was outside playing with a little boy, noticed him first and gave a welcoming grin. "Hey there, Takao, long time no see! What brings you here to our humble village?" he jokingly boasted, while heartily patting the Japanese man on the back.

Takao gave an uneasy smile and laughed nervously. "Uh, yeah I know… it has been a long time. Say, where are Mao and the others? I really need to tell you something…" he trailed off, looking serious all of a sudden. He was a bit disappointed that he would have to tell them from the beginning; it was hard telling them what happened to their childhood friend.

The Chinese man looked at Takao surprisingly. He had never really seen the blue-haired man with a serious expression in his face, but when he does then it must be something serious. "Uh… sure wait a sec'," he answered and then he crouched down to the little kid and said something in Chinese to him.

The little boy gave a nod and ran to the next street, yelling Kevin and Gary's name.

"This way," Lee motioned the younger man to follow him inside the house. He gestured the sofa to Takao, indicating him to take a seat.

Takao accepted after saying 'Thanks' and waited with his patience wearing bit by bit. The more he waited, the more he didn't want to drop the news. They all seemed so happy and content… but then again, they did deserve to know; after all they had known Rei for years.

He watched the raven-haired man go upstairs and indistinctive voices were heard before two pairs of footsteps came from upstairs descending down to the living room. Takao gave a smile when he saw Lee guiding a pregnant Mao carefully down the staircase. He gave a small gulp when he realized that he would be telling a pregnant lady that Rei was…

"Takao! Look at you!" exclaimed a voice by the entrance. The said man turned and saw Kevin giving him a grin with Gary behind him, holding a basket of assorted fruits. Takao waved at them and turned towards to Mao when she greeted him and briefly hugged him.

"So, where's Max? I thought you guys were together," said the only female when they all got comfortable on the couch.

"We are together, it's just -"

"How's Rei? The last time we ever got in contact with him was last month," Kevin interrupted as he took a fruit from Gary's basket.

The Japanese man cleared his throat and closed his eyes, trying to stop the tears from showing again. "I-It's about Rei a-actually…" he muttered, realizing his voice was started to break. "Something happened to him…"

Right after he said that, all four of them suddenly went alert and gave him a solemn look.

"What do you mean…?" Lee asked him, feeling the tight grip on his hand when Mao squeezed it in anticipation.

While opening his eyes, the former Baifuzu members were surprised to see his navy-coloured eyes glazed with tears as Takao somehow managed to speak again. "H-He… was going to visit Max and me in Japan and then…" he choked a sob and started shaking. Damn, he wasn't supposed to go and cry again! He had enough of that… "H-His plane… it crashed - " he stopped suddenly, when he heard the thumping noise of the falling basket when Gary dropped it.

Mao covered her mouth with her hand, her golden eyes full of disbelief at what she heard. "W-What you're saying isn't true, right? Rei can't be _dead_ - " Everybody in the room flinched at the word. "He just can't! He promised that he would see his little nephew right after…" she trailed off, tears of anguish coming out of her eyes as Lee took her in his arms and patted her back, trying to calm her despite the fact that he couldn't calm himself.

The youngest of the five, slammed his fist on the coffee table and muttered incoherent words every now and then. His shoulder were shaking non-stop while Gary was just sitting there, silent as a mouse.

Takao gulped slightly, feeling a tug of guilt for being the one who dropped the really, really bad news. "I-I'm really sorry… I know that this wasn't really a good idea - especially since there's a baby in the way and all - "

"No, don't be sorry," Lee interrupted, whilst giving the blue-haired man a small smile, albeit a little forlorn smile. "On behalf of the rest, we just want to thank you for telling us… Our village's so isolated that we probably wouldn't have found out for at least another month."

Takao didn't say anything and just smiled back. He was about to leave, giving them some time to recuperate but they insisted on him staying with them for one more day. He might as well stay for a bit, he subconsciously mused. He didn't even realize that the sun was setting for the day until he went outside for a breath of air.

* * *

"Anything yet?" Max asked the Chief as he gave him a mug of coffee and sat down beside him on the couch. 

Kyouju gave a frustrated sigh and shook his head. He was on his laptop, always checking his e-mail every so often to see if there was any news. Like Kai, he had also been focusing his entire time about the plane crash, only to be taking breaks when he has to go to the washroom once in a while. "You know, you should've gone with Takao to China instead of waiting here," he said, when he heard Max drumming his fingers on the armrest of the sofa.

The blond gave a rueful smile. "No… that's fine. I want to know if there were any changes anyway and besides… I still have to make a phone call to someone…" he trailed off, looking thoughtful all of a sudden.

The brunet didn't need to ask whom Max was talking about. They all know that Kai and Rei were together, and he was sure that no matter how aloof their former team captain was, Kai was sure to be feeling at least ten times worse as they were feeling right now. He pushed his glasses up a little farther and stood up, excusing himself, saying that he needed to phone someone.

Max didn't heed any attention to his friend and kept on staring at nothing. Should he really call Kai? He knows that Yuriy and Boris were doing everything they could to try and comfort the slate-haired man but, according to them, every time they visited they were ignored like everything else that Kai considered unimportant. Finally, after debating with himself for a few minutes, he picked up the cordless phone and started to dial Kai's phone number. He was sure that the Russian wouldn't be at work (after all, who could work at a time like this?) and waited patiently.

The phone rang for a while until the answering machine was activated. Max gave a sigh and decided to talk to the machine instead.

"Uh, hey Kai… it's me, Max. Listen, I don't really know how to say this but… I just want you to know, that we - as in Takao, Kyouju and I - we're in search for Rei as well… and, I know that you're doing the best you can but don't hesitate to ask for help, okay? Well… say hi to Yuriy-san and Boris-san for me when they visit you again. Ja ne." He turned off the phone and then cradled his head with his hands.

Even though he knew that Takao arrived in China perfectly fine, but he couldn't help but worry. What about the ride back? He would be fine, right? Takao will be back to him and he'll snuggle up to the older man until he fell asleep, right? Max shook the impending negative thoughts away and went to the bedroom he shared with Takao and laid on the bed. Despite the fact that it was only nine o'clock in the morning, he felt tired and sluggish.

_Max nervously watch his boyfriend as Takao talked on the phone. "Are you really sure you have to go now?" he asked him anxiously when the blue-haired man buttoned up his polo shirt. "Can't you just mail them or something…?"_

_The Japanese man turned to him and gave a small reassuring smile. "Hey, I'll only be gone for two days, koi! Lee and the others deserve to know what's going on… after all, they've known Rei more than we ever did…"_

_With turning to face Takao and simply looking down to the ground, the blond agreed quietly. He was just scared, that's all… he knows he shouldn't be _this_ scared but he couldn't help it! Takao noticed this, walked towards Max, lifting up his chin to see the clear blue-eyes watering up again like the day before. He sighed and shook his head._

"_Look… if you don't want me to go, then - "_

"_No," Max contradicted as he took Takao's hand in his. "You're right… they should know, but just be careful, ne?"_

_Takao grinned at him and kissed him on the lips. "I promise, I'll call you as soon as I get out of the plane, okay? I'll even call you before the take-off. What do you say?"_

_Max smiled a bit and nodded. "Okay." _

Clear, blue eyes were not seen as Max curled up against Takao's pillow, fast asleep.

…

Yuriy came out of the bedroom, whilst rubbing the sleepiness away from his eyes. For how long had he been sleeping? He wondered as he went inside the kitchen to get a glass of water. When he got out of the kitchen and went to the living room, what he saw made his heart melt. There was Boris, sitting on the couch sleeping with the laptop, and today's newspaper sitting innocently on the coffee table.

The red-haired Russian carefully went back to the bedroom to retrieve a blanket and draped it around his lover. '_Did he stay up all night?_' he thought amused, as his fingertips ghostly touched Boris's forehead when he started frowning. Unfortunately though, Boris was a light sleeper and right before he could pull his hand away, the older Russian's hand caught his wrist.

"How long have I been sleeping?" Yuriy asked him when Boris blinked a bit and yawned.

He shook his head and let go of his boyfriend's wrist so that he could stretch a bit. "You fell asleep on the couch and I had to carry your heavy ass all the way to the bedroom," Boris replied, ignoring the icy blue-eyed man's pout at his comment and smirked. "Relax, I was only joking…"

Yuriy huffed and sat on the other end of the couch. "So? You still called my ass fat…" he muttered dejectedly while crossing his arms.

The taller Russian sighed and shook his head. "Fine, fine… I'm sorry. Anyway, one of Kinomiya's friends phoned," he changed the subject, in hopes that Yuriy wouldn't be bitchy for the rest of the day.

"Which one?"

"The one with the glasses… I think."

Yuriy arched an eyebrow. "Kyouju? Well, what did he say?" he asked, as he moved a bit closer to his lover.

Boris shrugged and leaned back. "He said that Kinomiya went to China." He didn't need to elaborate more for he knows that Yuriy would understand what it was, after all they were just talking about it yesterday.

The other Russian gave a sigh of relief and smiled smugly. "I knew Takao would go to China eventually… ne, Boris do you think I'm psychic?" He gave the lilac-haired man a small albeit cute smile.

The boyfriend in question however, snorted and crossed his arms. "Psychic? You didn't _know_ that Kinomiya would go to China… you were _hoping _that he would," he corrected, smirking slightly when Yuriy frowned at him.

"Whatever," he mumbled, suddenly leaning his red-haired head on Boris's shoulder. "Everything will be okay, right?"

Boris didn't answer for a while, making Yuriy think that he had fallen asleep again until he shrugged. "I hope so," he replied softly, taking Yuriy's smaller hand in his.

'_I hope so…_'

_End Chapter Two_

* * *

**Johnny:** So, tell me again why am I not in this fic...? 

**Crystal:** -gives Johnny a blank look- Do I have to, _Jonathan_? -smiles too sweetly-

**Johnny: **-glares- It's _Johnny_! GEEZ, people these days... -storms off-

**Crystal:** -blinks- Wow, what's wrong with him? -shakes head- ANYWAY, I hope that you guys enjoyed this awfully short chapter -frowns at it- But... I swear I'll make the next one long... I hope... ANYWAY! -smiles sweetly again- I would like to thank my dearest Nee-chan for beta-ing this for me! Arigatou, Ruby-neechan! -glomps her-

_Thanks to:_ AnimeDragonofFire, BloodyShadows, Tntiggris, WildChipmunkofYonder, Animeobsession, Ashley, Da-Ku Hisaki, Ladyfiction, Neko Phoenix Girl, Blood Tears Dying Angel 0previously magic and sparkle0, Toboewolf7, Delirious Fantasy, Tenshi-Tara, Night Kitten, Chi no hana, and SweetKatie97 for reviewing the previous chapter!

Please don't forget to review! The feedbacks always give me lots of inspiration, tee-hee! Until next time!


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